I've been taking a lot of purikura (you know, those photo booth pictures where you go in, do stupid poses and then color all over them, before the booth prints them all out tiny-size on a sheet of stickers?) the last week, and I was wondering what I should do with them..

Generally, people stick them into a little book, and sometimes peel them back off to give them to people. I kind of felt like putting all of those great memories into a book that I probably would never really look at was a bit of a waste, though. A long time ago, I bought a map of Japan and used to stick them on there, but it wasn't really looking all that great, and it was a bit too.. poster-like, if that makes sense? I don't really use posters these days, for some reason unknown. But I was thinking about what I possibly had that I could use for something like this, and the empty signboard that I had in a drawer suddenly came to mind! (A signboard is like a thick cardboard paper lined in gold, in general, that people buy to get autographs on.. I'd bought it ages ago because it seemed like it might be fun to color on!) So, finally I had a good use for it! It's a little under a foot on each side, so not too big, not too small. Not to mention it will match the ones from Konomi-sensei and Araki-sensei on my wall. And when I fill it up, I can start a new one!

So on this one, I drew a colorful map of Japan in markers, outlined it in gold, and started sticking them on! I'm super-excited to see it fill up over time! Best of all, it's something that is extremely personal, if that makes sense? I have a feeling that I will keep it for a looooong time! Even if I take it off my wall one day (honestly I think I'll frame it once it's finished), I can slip it into a nice hardcover binder. It will get a lot more traffic ♥ (By the way, if any of my Tokyo friends wants me to make one for them, let me know! I'll gladly make you something similar, with whatever you want on it! ..within reason XD ^^) Actually, this might be a great project for a party, like Canadian Thanksgiving next week.. anyone up for it? Just bring signboards and I'll bring the markers!

By the way, for people who like materials that bleed (Aimee, I remember you saying something about that before), this board bleeds like WHOA. You might really like it. It makes blending SUPER-EASY, too, though the board is a bit soft so it can be a little too malleable.

Saaaaaaa-te! (The japanese expression that I've adopted recently, which means "well, then!".. more or less.) More meme shall we?

Day 10 - Something about Japan that sets it apart from anywhere else.

Purikura? =D Seriously, the purikura in Japan is unlike anywhere else that I have been.

And more seriously.. this is a very personal answer, and subjective to the extreme. But the sense of wonder. Japan is relatively clean (though I hear it was not so clean 20 years ago, before they started public improvement and employment programs), and relatively safe (it depends on who you talk to and where you are exactly, but I generally feel safe walking around my neighborhood in the middle of the night), but more than that, I feel as if every single day that I'm here, I learn something. I learn some more words in Japanese, I learn something about how people who were born and raised here do things (like how to sign up for a gym membership, etc), I learn something about a friend, or about the weather, even (Japan's fall this year has ADD for sure). It's crazy. :) I love the challenge, and the freshness, of it all!

I also think that, in a way, Japan has really opened up my eyes, and that sets it apart for me in terms of places. I've never met or made friends from so many different countries (if you don't count online ^^), than I have while I've lived in Japan. Some of my closest friends are from Japan, Canada, France, Australia, England.. places that I've never even been! (Of course, love my Americans too! ^^) But I never would have thought that I'd come to meet so many people from so many different places when I moved to Japan. ^-^

Also, this seems a little bit cliche, but Japan has a good mix of the old alongside the new. Go down a tiny side street in between two rows of skyscrapers in Akihabara and you will find a tiny shinto temple nestled in between them. Wander off the road at Harajuku station, filled with shoppers, goth loli (on Sunday), and people heading to see Disney on Ice, and you might wander off to one of the most popular temples in the city. Pick any day and walk around long enough, and you'll see people in yukata/kimono, right next to a girl in a miniskirt and a guy with his underwear hanging out of his rapper pants. Next to the Asian girl with blonde curls, next to the guy in a construction worker's outfit, next to the old lady with her back bent at a90-degree angle to the ground, hobbling along. (Very very very common sight! I was told it's somehow due to a lack of vitamins in the past, though I don't really understand exactly..)

Oh, that reminds me. The fashion! At least in Tokyo. Good and bad, people are very good at one of two things:- Blend in (especially wearing a suit or a school uniform. Make sure you look the same!)- Wear anything and everything and own it. Even if it's the most hideous thing ever, never be ashamed!

Oh, and I doubt that any other place in the world is full of girls who bend their ankles at 90-degree angles while they walk. It's not bad this year, but two or three years ago, you couldn't go 10 seconds outside without seeing girls who seemed about to fall down because they had rubber ankles! I heard they did it to be cute...

Oh, and not to mention, Japanese anime is the best ♥ They also have manga. There is no other place to get the kinds of comics that you find in Japan (though Korea has a pretty good selection too, it's not the same).

The Japan 30-day Meme ♡〜（ゝ。∂）

Day 01 - A picture of you "in Japan". (doing or wearing something "Japanese")Day 02 - Describe your neighborhood in Japan.Day 03 - Most interesting person you've met.Day 04 - What's your favorite place that's not in any of the guidebooks/lists of places to visit?Day 05 - Which, if any, Japanese mannerisms or expressions have you adopted?Day 06 - Food that you swore you would never eat but now love (or tolerate).Day 07 - Which Japanese words do you use in English? (hanami, shinkansen, etc.)Day 08 - Are you a Herbivore or Carnivore? S or M?Day 09 - Favorite stores/shopping centers.Day 10 - Something about Japan that sets it apart from anywhere else.Day 11 - What did you find most overrated and underrated about Japan?Day 12 - Describe a fail!gaijin moment. (Where you did something wrong or completely misunderstood because you couldn't ~read the air~ or just plain had no idea what you were supposed to do because you weren't born and raised here) Describe a gaijin!smash moment .(Where your foreignness was to your benefit)Day 13 - Favorite live event that you attendedDay 14 - What is the hardest thing about living in Japan versus your home country?Day 15 - Weirdest food item you've seen, and weirdest food item you've actually eaten.Day 16 - How you realised you'd acclimated to Japan. (if you have)Day 17 - Your karaoke top 5, your sushi top 5, your conbini top 5.Day 18 - Post some amusing/cute/faily purikura.Day 19 - Your favorite Japanese character(s) and Gachapon/UFO Catcher toysDay 20 - Favorite Japanese festival or folklore.Day 21 - Favorite and least favorite Japanese fashion trends.Day 22 - Your favorite Japanese saying or kotowaza (proverb).Day 23 - What is something you have/do in Japan that you wish you had/could do in your home country?Day 24 - Your favorite Japanese slang or borrow-word (外来語), e.g. セフレ "sex friend"Day 25 - Most interesting vending machine find.Day 26 - What's your favorite/least favorite train line.Day 27 - Place you avoid going to if at all possible.Day 28 - A picture of you looking like a weaboo/A picture of you trying to blend in and failing.Day 29 - What's the thing you [will] miss most about Japan when you leave (either on vacation, or move away)?Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?

I want to pass on a little bit of good news before I crash into bed: I went back to the hospital today after the first month of medicine, and my platelet count has gone up 600%!!!! I'm on the way to being cured from my ITP! Or at least going into remission! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!! ♥ ♥ ♥ The doctor reduced my dosage and next month assuming that things have continued improving, we will wean it away gradually to zero. YAY! I can't express how happy I am! I really hate having to take medicine all of the time! (and now it's reduced to just the morning!)

I love Purikura. XD Too bad it's not that big in the states, and you can't do alot of things to it over here. It's also really expensive. Like, $3-5 dollars for three pictures around where I live. D: There also hard to find, and the tiny booths aren't fun when you have more than three people. XD But I do it anyways.

One of my friends has all of our group purikura pics. I scan them in to post on Facebook. It's better that way since I (and our other friends) would just end up losing them or forgetting about them. Earlier this year, I had a poster printed with some of the best/funniest pics for her.

That's nice!! You really like purikura. Japanese girls like too. I think purikura is good Japanese culture. easy to see,to make good copy, fun and low price. It is 300yen($3.00) when I was student. And good things is a lot of picture(over ten) one sheet. It can share with friends. Nostalgic memories....